# Iron is below carbon in the reactivity series but above copper. Explain why iron can be extracted from iron oxide using carbon, and predict whether copper could also be extracted from copper oxide using iron.

> AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462) — 4.4.1 Reactivity of metals · Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. Metals less reactive than carbon can be extracted from their oxides by reduction with carbon
2. Reduction involves the loss of oxygen (from the metal oxide), so carbon removes the oxygen from iron oxide
3. Copper could NOT be displaced/extracted from copper oxide by iron because iron is more reactive than copper, not carbon, and the question asks about iron as the reducing agent — iron is less reactive than carbon but MORE reactive than copper, so iron cannot reduce copper oxide (iron cannot displace copper from copper oxide using this method / displacement requires the displacing metal to be more reactive than the metal in the compound, but we are comparing iron to copper oxide here — iron IS more reactive than copper so iron WOULD displace copper from copper oxide)
4. This is a displacement reaction — a more reactive element displaces a less reactive element from its compound

## Key terms

- [reactivity series](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/reactivity-series)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/iron-is-below-carbon-in-the-ff5aa4f0) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.